New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-06
MICHIGAN REJECTS PROHIBITIONS

MICHIGAN Rejects PROHIBITION.
The latest news indicates the defeat Of the
Prohibition amendment in Michigan. The event
is one of general interest, but it probably will
not be easy to get at all the facts which explain
it for some time. AS usual In such elections OF
late years the chief affirmative vote was in the
country the chief negative vote in the
cities and large villages. The liquor in
terest made q desperate fight against the
amendment, but by far the most enthusl-
astic and fully organized work was done by
the Prohibitionsts, who imported the best tenn
perance speakers from all over the country and
made an almost house-to- house canvass. The
liquor men probably used all the means within
reach without scruple. and doubtless got the
vote of the dangerous classes. But it is not to
be concluded that the defeat of Prohibition in
Michigan has been caused by the rum power
entirely or even mainly.
Michigan is State which has had wide ex-
perience in temperance legislation. Ter people
are familiar with Prohibition in practice and
they have more recently tried High License.
They had what was perhaps the most stringen
prohibitlve statute ever enacted in tie United
States. The TRIBUNE recently gave an out
line of its provisions. 1t certainly was law
which, if enforced, ought to have made drink
ing virtually impossible within its jurisdiction.
But it proved failure. Various reasons
were assigned for this, and impartial OBJ
servers generally agreed that the public
opinion to sustain so rigid law
was wanting, Subsequently High License
law was enacted, and worked well. A crafty
ing diminution of drunkenness followed its
operation. The number of saloons dwindled
steadily. The law was of course merely q
remedial agent, not an infallible specific, but it
seemed to hit the existing standard of public
morals, and consequently it was enforced, and
did appreciate good. This was the latest
situation, and upon this the Prohibition CAM
paign was superlmpOsed.
The canvass brought out a strong feeling OF
dissat1s faction with the Incorporate methods of
the ProhlbitiOnists, and this feeling was devel-
oped not among the liquor men and their allies,
natural and acquired, but in an entirely different
class. The most moderate, rational and lntelll-
gent of the city residents furnished this dissent
ing element, and it made its mark at significant
public meeting held in Detroit some two weeks
ago, at which the claims of Prohibition and
High License were analysed and compared by
speakers whose social standing and knowle ige
gave large authority to their conclusion. 1t
is evident that this meeting was the turning
point of the canvass. From that time Pro-
hibition lost ground. Calm reflection by
thinking men seems to have led to be-
lief that the success OF the amendment
would only bring impracticable legislation, in
volving waste of time temper and the public
funds, and resulting in no gain to temperance.
The advocates of High License accordingly
voted strongly against the proposition, and it Is
to the feeling they represent far more than to
the efforts of the liquor interest that the defeat
of the amendment is attributable.